Gavin DeGraw's Genre:

Biography

Years before "I Don't Want to Be" propelled him to pop/rock success, songwriter Gavin DeGraw began honing his piano skills at the age of eight, followed by his participation in several cover bands with his older brother in upstate New York. After a brief stint at the prestigious Berklee School of Music -- where he rubbed shoulders with future singer/songwriter contemporary John Mayer -- DeGraw decided to take his original songs to New York City. He arrived during the late '90s and steadily expanded his audience with a series of buzzworthy shows, one of which was captured on the concert recording Gavin Live. The steady buzz led to offers from major labels, and DeGraw eventually signed a record deal with Clive Davis and his J Records imprint (home of Santana, as well as R&B mainstays Alicia Keys and Angie Stone). DeGraw's debut album, Chariot, arrived during the summer of 2003. Like the singer's early days in New York City, Chariot slowly built momentum and earned the young DeGraw a small but fervent following. By 2004, the leadoff single "I Don't Want to Be" had become a Top Ten hit, and the album itself was soon re-released in expanded form under the title Chariot + Chariot Stripped. DeGraw's next single, the titular "Chariot," was also met with positive response and climbed the charts in 2005, pushing the album to double platinum sales. DeGraw took five years to release a self-titled sophomore album, which appeared in 2008, initially charting higher than Chariot but failing to spawn any comparable singles (although "In Love with a Girl" did peak at number 24). DeGraw shifted gears for his next release, the looser and seemingly less labored Free, which appeared only a few months later in early 2009.DeGraw took more time to release his fourth album. Co-writing with other artists for the first time, he spent two years workshopping the songs that eventually comprised Sweeter. The album was released in fall 2011, several months after "Not Over You" -- a song co-written with Ryan Tedder -- returned DeGraw to the charts. "Not Over You" was DeGraw's biggest hit since "I Don't Want to Be," and it helped send Sweeter into the Billboard Top Ten upon its release. Over the next year, DeGraw supported the album with promotional appearances and a tour, the latter of which was documented on the live album Sweeter: Live, released in December of 2012. DeGraw returned in October of 2013 with Make a Move, his fifth album. ~ Wade Kergan & Steve Leggett

AOL Radio Stations Gavin DeGraw is Featured on (10)

Equal parts musical theater and indie pop, A Great Big World are Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino--two longtime friends and songwriting partners. Between their music appearing on "Glee" and their current worldwide hit "Say Something," we thought the time was right to learn more about A Great Big World. We sat down with Ian and Chad to create a radio station featuring their favorite artists, stories, and songs. From Randy Newman to Danny Elfman to Radiohead, this is an exclusive look into the musical DNA of A Great Big World: It's "I Am The DJ" on Slacker.

David Nail's "I'm A Fire" was released last month, and the first single "Whatever She's Got" became the most popular country song on all of Slacker. Clearly, you wanted more, so we sat down with David Nail to create a radio station featuring his favorite artists, stories, and songs. From Adele to Willie Nelson, this is an exclusive look into David Nail's musical DNA: It's "I Am The DJ" on Slacker.

Slacker sat down with singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles to create a radio station comprised of her favorite artists, from Tom Waits and Animal Collective to Fiona Apple and Justin Timberlake. Check out this exclusive look into the musical soul of Sara Bareilles as we celebrate her Grammy-nominated album, The Blessed Unrest. It's "I Am The DJ" on Slacker.

His parents may not have been super-creative when naming him, but that didn’t stop Phillip Phillips from becoming one of the most successful American Idol winners in recent history. Phillip’s performance style draws comparisons to Dave Matthews, who once joked, “maybe I can retire and he can take over my band!” You’ll hear DMB along with songs from artists like Eminem, Foster the People, Hunter Hayes and tracks from Phillip's new album ‘Behind the Light,’ on I Am the DJ, curated and hosted by the man so nice they named him twice.

Ever hear a song you love but have no idea what it is? Well, that’s where the SoundHound app comes in—it identifies the tune you’re listening to or singing—and you can also learn more about the artist that you’ve discovered, so you’ll always be in the know. This station is a collection of the most “SoundHounded” songs: you’ll hear what caught listeners’ attention the most, so get ready to discover some new favorites!

You finally did it! All those years of late night cramming sessions, boring lectures, and long lines at the book store finally paid off, and you are graduating! Nothing sums up four years of hard work like the music that got you through it. Graduation Party on Slacker plays all the hits from the last four years of your life, all on one station. It’s both the soundtrack to the party and a nostalgic look at the past. Pop, hip hop, alternative and more, all mixed up into one perfect station, getting you ready for the trip to the podium, and the after party!

Artists Related to Gavin DeGraw (10)

A mix of polished pop/rock and neo-soul made Maroon 5 one of the most popular bands of the new millennium, with songs like "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," and "Makes Me Wonder" all topping the charts worldwide.

After making his introduction as a sensitive, acoustic-styled songwriter on 2001's Room for Squares, John Mayer steadily widened his approach over the subsequent years, encompassing everything from blues-rock to adult contemporary in the process.

By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, the Fray rose to commercial prominence with their 2005 debut, How to Save a Life.

Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in fall 1996, Matchbox Twenty was pigeonholed as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the American pop scene in the middle of that decade.

After surfacing in 2000 with the breakthrough single "Yellow," Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands of the new millennium, honing a mix of introspective Brit-pop and anthemic rock that landed the British quartet a near-permanent residence on record charts worldwide.